Life-saving belt



J. R. WiLLlAMS.

LIFE SAVING BELT.

APPLICATION FILED m1. 9. 1920.

1,368,529. Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

I7 INVENTOR. law/L96 nnirso star's earner- OFFICE.

JAMES R. WILLIAM-.8, O35 BLAIR STATION, PENNSYLVANIA.

LIFE-SllVING BELT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented F I' '1'5 1921 Applicationfiled April 9, 1920. Serial No. 372,588.

vice which may be worn on a life suit such as is employed for savinglives from catastrophes on the sea.

()ne of the objects of the invention: is to provide a life saving suitupon which may be mounted or attached a life belt which serves to causethe body to float and also provides compartments in which may be storedfood and water.

in catastrophes at sea. itoften happens that persons wearing lifebeltsand life ing suits will suffer greater hardships from lack ofnourishment than is experienced by their exposure to the water andaction of the elements.

The invention therefore contemplates the provision for supplying theunfortunate person with a supply of food and fresh water which may beconsumci'i while being buoyed up by the life belt.

Other objects of the invention w ll appear from a consideration of thefollowing description and accompanying drawmgs, wherein Figure 1 is aview of the apparatus illustrating its manner of use.

. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a portion of the trunks constitutingthe life saving suit and illustrating the manner of holding the lifebelt in position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the attaching or retainingbrackets for the life belt.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the life belt, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through one of the food containers.

The life saving suit comprises the body enveloping garment of waterproof material designed to fit the body of the person in a manner thatwill permit free movement of the limbs. A helmet is also included in thesuit and fits snugly over the head of the person and 1s laced orotherwise fastened as shown in Fig. 1 to completely exclude the .waterand permit only the featuresto be exposed.

Around the waist portion of the trunks of the suit is a series ofbrackets 5 which are held in position by suitable fastening means, eachof which consists of a fastening plate 6 provided with laterallyprojecting flanges 7 which are arranged in superposed relation when thebrackets are in position on the suit.

The life belt shown in Fig. 4.- consists of the band 8 which may or notbe of elastic ,material but which is of the same width thereof is aseries of buoyant elements 9.

The belt has separated ends so that it may be conveniently donned orremoved. At

each end of the belt is container, the

food container being indicated at lO and the liquid container beingindicated zit- 11. A cross section of the food container is shown inFig. 5 and it is designed to contain a quantity of food and is providedwith a removable cover 12 arranged to form a water tight connection withthe container so that water will be excluded from the same. The liquidcontainer 11 is constructed in substantially the same manner and isdesigned to contain a quantity of fresh water or other liquid which maybe consumed by the person using the apparatus. A tube 13 of any desiredlength leads into the liquid container 11.

Attached to the container 11 is a strap 14 fixed by fastening members 15and which carries a buckle 16 at its free end. The other container 10has a strap 17 attached thereto by the fastening members 18 and thisstrap is perforated with a series of openings in the manner commonlyused for engaging the ends of straps with a buckle so that in thisinstan e the two straps may be drawn together and fastened whereby thebelt will be firmly held about the waist of the wearer with the twocontainers 10 and 11 directly in front of the wearer and withinconvenient reach.

The series of brackets 5 extending around the life saving suit supportthe life belt in position and prevent it from being moved up" too highon the body so that the person its ing a band of a Width to fit the saidbrack ets and having a series of buoyant members secured to the band,the said brackets in-- cludmg outstanding flanges adapted to overlie theupper and lower portions of the said buoyant members whereby the saldbeltwill be maintained in position at the Waist of the life saving suit.

2. The combination with a life saving suit having its waist portionprovided with a plurality of brackets in the form of attaching membersprovided with outstanding flanges, the flanges on each bracket being insuperposed relation, of a life belt including a band of a width equal tothe width of the space between the said outstanding flanges in thebrackets, a series of buoyant members attached to the band and alsoadapted to be engaged by the said flanges on the bracket members, andmeans to fasten the ends of the life belt together.

3. The combination with a life saving suit having bracket membersprovided with outstanding flanges, of a life belt including a bandhaving a series of buoyant member's attached thereto and provided ateach end with a container, the said buoyant members and containers beingadapted to be fitted between the said outstanding flanges on the saidbracket members whereby the life belt will be retained in positionagainst displacement.

d. The combination with a life saving suit provided with a series ofbracket members having outstanding flanges arranged in superposedrelation, of a life belt in cluding a band equipped "with a series ofbuoyant members longitudinally spaced apart on the band, each end of theband being provided with a container, a strap member secured to eachcontainer and adapted to be fastened together whereby the belt may besecured at its separated ends, the said superposed flanges on thebrackets engaging the upper and lower portions of the edges of the bandand the tops and bottoms of the said buoyant members and containerswhereby the said life belt is held in position on the waist portion ofthe said life saving suit.

In testimony whereof; I have aflixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES H. WILLIAMS. Witnesses: V

J. A. PERorvAL,

E. K. THUMM.

